Retractable fountain pen with closing ink valve abutment in retracting movement



1967 H. A. A. EXNER 3,333,576 RETRACTABLE FOUNTAIN PEN WITH CLOSING INK VALVE ABUTMENT IN RETRACTING MOVEMENT Filed Feb. 10, 1964 HELTLMUTH ALFRED'ARTUR EXNER IN VEN TOR United States Patent RETRACTABLE FOUNTAIN PEN WITH CLOS- ING INK VALVE ABUTMENT IN RETRACT- ING MOVEMENT Hellmuth Alfred Artur Exner, Laprida 5141, Mar del Plata, Argentina Filed Feb. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 343,594 3 Claims. (Cl. 120-44) This invention refers to stylographic fountain pens with retractable writing element and with ink valve, and has as its main object to prevent a leaking of ink from the writing point caused by damaged or worn out ink retainers, or under abnormal conditions such as flying in an unpressurised airplane or under severe weather conditions where the atmospheric and heat pressures alternate greatly. This invention is readily appliable to a number of different types of the conventional design of the project-retract stylographic pen, but is mainly intended as an improvement to the class described in my US. Patents No. 3,039,436, dated June 19, 1962 and No. 3,126,874, dated Mar. 31, 1964.

To accomplish this objective, is the fountain pen furnished with a mechanism, which automatically closes the ink valve, when the writing element is retracted into the fountain pen body, and also keeps the ink valve closed as long as the writing element remains in retracted position, preventing leakage of ink from the writing point.

In the present invention, the cap of the fountain pen is provided with two bolts, which function as abutments for the head, of that in the neck of the ink container located counterweight, when the writing element is retracted into the fountain pen body. This abutment causes the closing of the known ink valve, as described in my US. Patent No. 3,039,436, dated June 19, 1962. To maintain the upper end of the ink container closed thereby preventing dust penetration into the interior of the writing element obstructing the functioning of the fountain pen, a connecting bar may be provided between the head of the counterweight and the abutment in the cap of the fountain pen, said connecting bar is slidably lodged in a headpiece, which is firmly inserted into the neck of the ink container, further a small pressure spring arranged is in the neck of the said headpiece, which functions to force the connecting bar upwards so that this does not interfere with the free movement of the counterweight, when the writing element is in its operative position. To soften the impact of the counterweight on the abutment, when the writing element is retracted, the head of the counterweight, is provided with a flexible shock absorbing element consisting of soft rubber, foam plastic or other adequate material.

In fountain pens of the class described, but where the counterweight of the ink needle is located in the lower part of the writing element below the ink container, the automatic closing of the ink valve, when the writing element is retracted into the fountain pen body, may be produced by providing a slidable extension shaft above the shock absorbing element in the head of the counterweight, which passes through that with capillary material filled ink container and joined to the connecting bar lodged in the headpiece inserted into the neck of the ink container.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a lengthwise section through a retractable fountain pen in its open i.e., writing position.

FIGURE 2 is a lengthwise section through the upper part of the same fountain pen as in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a completely assembled fountain pen with the retractable writing element in writing position, and where the counterweight 10 of the ink needle 11 is situated in the upper part of the neck 12 of the ink container 13. In the central part of the head of the counterweight 10 is firmly inserted a flexible shock absorbing element 14 consistsing of soft rubber, foam plastic or other adequate material, suited to receive the impact and pressure of the lower end of the connecting bar 15, which is slidably arranged in a headpiece 16, which is firmly inserted into the upper part of the neck 12 of the ink container 13, said connecting bar 15 is forced upwards of a pressure spring 17 situated in the neck of the headpiece 16. In the cap 18 of the fountain pen is furnished an abutment 19 for the upper end of the connecting bar 15 which is here provided, of the same two bolts 19 which serves as axis for the tipping clip 20, which is arranged to operate the retracting mechanism, said two bolts also guides the push button 21 Which is provided with lengthwise slots 22 to allow for the movement of the writing element when same is pushed into or from the writing position.

In FIGURE 2 is shown the upper part of the same fountain pen as in FIGURE 1, but with the writing element in retracted position, the connecting bar 15 is forced downwards against the pressure of the spring 17 in the headpiece 16 of the abutment 19 in the cap 18 of the fountain pen, and the lower end of said connecting bar 15 exerts pressure on the flexible shock absorbing element 14 in the head of the counterweight 10. This pressure producing the closure of the well known ink valve 23 and the upper end of the writing tube 25, preventing leakage of ink from the writing point 26.

In FIGURE 3 is shown a sectional view of the top of the fountain pen, where is seen the two bolts 19 which serve as axis for the movement of the tipping clip 20 and also produces the abutment 19 in the cap of the fountain pen which closes the ink valve 23, when the writing element is retracted into the fountain pen body. The employment of two bolts for the axis 19 instead of one is determined of the construction, in the top of the push button 21 of the well known key for the opening of the well known ink openings in the base of the writing tube, as described in my US. Patent No. 3,126,874, dated Mar. 31, 1964.

Operation of the automatic closing of the ink valve 23 in a fountain pen with retractable writing element is as follows:

By retracting the writing element into the fountain pen body, the upper end of the connecting bar 15 abuts against the axis 19 inserted in the cap 18 of the fountain pen, and is forced downwards against the pressure of the spring 17 situated in the neck of the headpiece 16, and the lower end of said connecting bar 15 hits and exerts pressure on the shock absorbing element 14 in the head of the counterweight 10, this pressure is transmitted direct through the ink needle shaft 24 on to the ink valve 23 closing same, preventing leakage of ink from the writing point 26. By pushing the writing element into writing position, the headpiece 16 with the connecting bar 15 is removed from the abutment 19, in the cap 18, and the said connecting bar 15 forced upwards of the pressure of the spring 17, situated in the neck of the headpiece 16, releasing the pressure of same on the shock absorbing element 14 in the head of the counterweight 10 leaving same with its ink needle 11 free to take up its normal capillary function.

The invention is not restricted to the preferred form .of device illustrated, but what is claimed is as follows.

I claim:

1. A stylographic pen comprising cap and body portions, said body portion having a retractable writing element therein, said writing element having a writing tube at its lower end, an ink container within said writing ele- Patented Aug. 1, 1967- ment and an ink needle shaft in said ink container, the lower end of said shaft being formed with steps of decreasing size, the upper end of said shaft being connected to a counterweight, the shaft and counterweight being slidable within said container, the stepped end of said ink shaft cooperating with the upper end of said writing tube to form therewith an ink valve, the cap portion of said pen having an abutment member therein, and a moveable bar member located between said abutment member and said counterweight and being operable therewith to ensure closure of said ink needle valve, when said writing element is retracted.

2. A pen according to claim 1, wherein said abutment member consists of two bolts, also forming an axis for tipping movement of a clip member.

3. A pen according to claim 1, wherein is provided a shock absorbing element between the center of the head of the counterweight and the abutment member, to soften the impact on the head of the counterweight of the retracting movement of the Writing element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 250,802 12/1881 Gard 120-44 284,5 6-9 9/ 1883 Nimmo 12044 2,584,569 2/ 1952 Frentzel 12042.03 2,949,887 8/1960 Martin 12050 X 3,039,436 6/ 1962 Exner 12044 X FOREIGN PATENTS 12,230 1914 Great Britain.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Examiner.

-H. F. ROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STYLOGRAPHIC PEN COMPRISING CAP AND BODY PORTIONS, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A RETRACTABLE WRITING ELEMENT THEREIN, SAID WRITING ELEMENT HAVING A WRITING TUBE AT ITS LOWER END, AN INK CONTAINER WITHIN SAID WRITING ELEMENT AND AN INK NEEDLE SHAFT IN SAID INK CONTAINER, THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT BEING FORMED WITH STEPS OF DECREASING SIZE, THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT BEING CONNECTED TO A COUNTERWEIGHT, THE SHAFT AND COUNTERWEIGHT BEING SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, THE STEPPED END OF SAID INK SHAFT COOPERATING WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID WRITING TUBE TO FORM THEREWITH AN INK VALVE, THE CAP PORTION OF SAID PEN HAVING AN ABUTMENT MEMBER THEREIN, AND A MOVEABLE BAR MEMBER LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT MEMBER AND SAID COUNTERWEIGHT AND BEING OPERABLE THEREWITH TO ENSURE CLOSURE OF SAID INK NEEDLE VALVE, WHEN SAID WRITING ELEMENT IS RETRACTED. 